"News organizations have certainly been experimenting where they can to get revenue in pieces, from mobile applications to launching group buying sites," writes Mashable's Vadim Lavrusik. Among the efforts he looks at are: self-serve "real time ads"; revenue share; in-stream advertising; selling traffic and amplification; making ads more social; sponsored contests and social campaigns; leveraging social site real estate; and personalized ads.

He notes that "social media, which effectively has infiltrated all corners of the web, has great potential in not only bringing in revenue but also making ads more useful to readers while also satisfying the needs of advertisers aiming to effectively reach the public. The social web can change the way we think about ads, by making them social and personalized to create utility for the user."